More Biblical Conundrums

[randy (imported)]

no___________

[jemagirl (imported)]

I believe one of the greatest privileges of being an American is the privilege of being wrong. Think about that. There are a lot of places in world right now where believing the wrong thing can get you killed. You want to see a great example of foresight and judgement? Check this out.....

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

You don't get foresight and judgement like that these days But seriously folks anything that degrades the first amendment degrades all our rights.

[Geraden (imported)]

Threads like this only go to show how strict biblical literalism (oh, that's literalism of my translation. Oh, and of my interpretation of that translation, too) is a dogma of both religious fundamentalists and insufferable atheists. Pharisees, the lot of you.

[calmeilles (imported)]

Slavery was permitted in the Bible because of sin in the world. It existed before the Jews were formed as a nation and it existed after Israel was conquered. God allows many things to happen in the world such as storms, famine, murder, etc. Slavery, like divorce, is not preferred by God. Instead, it is allowed. Where many nations treated their slaves very badly, the Bible gave many rights and privileges to slaves. So, even though it isn't the best way to deal with people, because God has allowed man freedom, slavery then exists. God instructed the Israelites to treat them properly.

... elision of scriptural examples ...

The reality of slavery cannot be denied. slave labor played a minor economic role in the ancient Near East, for privately owned slaves functioned more as domestic servants than as an agricultural or industrial labor force. -carm

Sorry, but that's insufficient.

The Christian Churches cited the biblical examples to justify the institution of slavery for most of their history, some of them right up to as recently as Abolition.

The social framework that accepted slavery was gradually torn down in movements that were lead by laymen and clerics alike. But in large the churches moved only along with the evolving trend. The theology taught was changed to suit the times.

Ignoring this and trying to tell us that Jews were nice to their slaves, or didn't have many seems to be an attempt to elide more recent history that shows just how mutable the Churches are in theology and practice.

Churches can change, have changed, do change and will change.

They had to work a lot harder to gloss over the biblical approval of slavery than they ever would to write homosexuality out of the sin list. One day they'll do just that.

[Eunuch2be (imported)]

One of the things that was failed to mention in regards to the slavery issue, was that according to a pastor friend of mine, was that in New Testament times people could sell themselves into slavery. If they were in debt to a person, or were just destitute, they could sell themselves into slavery as a way to take care of that obligation. It was fairly common in the Roman culture at that time, which is why Paul touched on that topic in his writings.

[Riverwind (imported)]

Gor and Jeasus? are those pagan gods?.... ask river.

Yes

River

"one mans religion is another mans belly laugh"

[Riverwind (imported)]

FROM A LIST OF embarassing Bible questions

1 Do you realy beleive that Noah was 500 years out when he fathered his first child ?(Gensis 5;32)

Damn, I could not imanage having a child at 50 let alone 500 but then again maybe they were using a different calander, if a day is like a thousand years then maybe a month is like a year. No written record to validate one way or the other.

2 Why was it ok for God to destroy the sinfull city of Sodom,but not ok to destroy Lots daughters when they had sex with him ?(gensis 19;30-36)

Maybe it was Saturday and as we all know God rested on the 7th day.

3 Do you beleve that anyone who works on a releegious day of rest should be killed?(Exodus 31;15)

NO, but then again not all of us celibrate a religious day the same way or on the same day even. Jews = Saturday, Christians = Sunday, Pagans the full moon etc.

4 Do you believe that children should be put to death for the sins of their parents?(11Samuel 2;2-4,14-27.12;9-19)

I do not believe in the death penantly for any reason, none of us are god and only a god can do that.

5 How come Gor rewarted Abraham andLot with earthy riches but Jeasus said that wealth is a one way ticket to hell?(Genesis 24;34-35,Job 42;10-12,Mathew (19;24)

Jesus was a rebil, he did his best to undue everything that god had started, if you believe that sort of thing.

6 D0 you believe in slavery?Then why do the apostoles Paul and Peter encourage slaves to be obediant? (Ephesians 6;5-7,1 Peter 2;18)

NEVER.

I will be in later to answer questions as I have the answer.

River

[Paolo]

I'm surprised anyone could even understand that post to begin with, River.

[augman7518 (imported)]

As in the past I am a recovering Catholic and do not stand corrected,but thank you for writing what you did

[Riverwind (imported)]

Anytime, there are several bible scholars in here and I am sure you will find some answer you like.

River